The dedication of Banks D. Kerr Hall and Hyde Hall exemplified the beginning of the Carolina First Campaign's aggressive push for private donations meant in part to fund new buildings, a plan that was officially unveiled Friday.
Kerr Hall, dedicated Friday afternoon, is a new addition to the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Pharmacy. The hall is a 65,000-square-foot annex to Beard Hall, doubling the previous space of the school. The hall features two auditorium-sized lecture halls with cutting-edge technology and 7,759 square feet of laboratory facilities.
The ceremony was pushed inside because of rain Friday. Both lecture halls were needed to accommodate the attendees -- some had to watch the ceremony on projection screens in the classroom above the room where the actual dedication was taking place.
"On this special afternoon I am really awed at the school," he said. "The school has a tradition of excellence. Kerr Hall is a continuation of this and the beginning of the School of Pharmacy push for Carolina First."
Even though the rain separated the crowd, people remained excited for the opening. UNC-system President Molly Broad said, "No amount of rain can dampen our spirits for a day like this."
Speakers stressed that though the addition of Kerr Hall was exciting, the school needs to keep improving. "Mr. Kerr really enjoyed store openings," said William Campbell, dean of the pharmacy school. "But I know if Mr. Kerr was here he would say, 'Let's begin planning now.'"
Hyde Hall -- the new home for the Institute of Arts and Humanities -- was dedicated Saturday morning to a group enjoying the sun as a rowdy group of football fans gearing up for the UNC-CH vs. N.C. State University game streamed by.
The building was named in honor of longtime institute supporters and alumni Pitt and Barbara Hyde of Memphis, Tenn. The building has 15,409 square feet to house the institute's Faculty Fellows and Public Fellows programs.
The institute's mission is to support and retain excellent faculty in the arts, humanities and social sciences. "One of the most critical parts of a university is to provide a forum for discussion," Broad said. "Hyde Hall is a wonderful place for this."
The purpose of the building is to provide the University's fellows with a place to have conversations to enhance their teaching. "It is here we practice what we teach," said Della Pollock, a UNC-CH professor of communication studies and one of the first fellows.
The speeches highlighted how Hyde Hall symbolized aspects of the Carolina First Campaign. The building was funded completely by private donations totaling $6.8 million. Ruel Tyson, director of the institute, said, "The donors understand the necessity of private gifts for this public university to excel."
The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.
